Maneater Reviews
Do I think Maneater is a good game? Yes. It’s great to kill a few hours with some fairly mindless fun. Though with that said, I do find it hard to justify the asking price on Steam of £33.99.
Despite most open world adventures having to cut corners for Switch hardware – Maneater included – the allure of its “ShaRkPG” loop remains undeniable.
The folks at Tripwire Interactive did make some visuals sacrifices to make Maneater run on the Nintendo Switch, but even so, it’s one of the finest examples of how you should handle a port. From accessibility to maintaining a good framerate. On top of that, it’s a fantastic open world game that doesn’t pad itself out and has a very clear design goal. Also, you get to be a shark! What more do you want?
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Maneater is a great idea for a video game, a ridiculous shark revenge fantasy in an open world setting with plenty of humour injected through its unique narrative framing and the vocal talents of Chris Parnell. However, as much as terrorising beach goers and snatching hunters from the bows of their fishing boats is a pretty good time, and as much as we enjoyed watching our orphaned bull shark grow from helpless pup to apex predator, the whole thing is let down by poor combat and the very worst kind of busywork side quests. With a little more variety in missions and a few refinements made to combat, this could have been a killer action-RPG. As things stand, however, it's all a little toothless.
If you’ve ever watched movies like the classic Jaws and found yourself vocally rooting for the shark, Maneater will likely be squarely in your wheelhouse...
Maneater was released just over a year ago on all other major platforms and now Nintendo Switch owners are getting a slice of the action; courtesy of indie developers Tripwire Interactive. It’s a game I’d not read too much about nor had I watched gameplay of so I had a completely spoiler free play through. There’s certainly not many other shark RPG’s (“shARkPG”) out there that do it quite like Maneater does and this is one of the major selling points for the game!
Maneater comes to the Nintendo Switch in a surprisingly good package. With all the collectathon fun of the original now in portable form, is it worth the visual downgrade? One thing is for certain, though: swimming around as a shark is great fun on the bus.
With a lot of content, Maneater is a fun and exciting game, mainly because it has creative concepts and unique moments, like the acrobatic jumps that we perform to assassinate humans on dry land and the memorable battles against motorized boats. Despite some flaws, the title is a good choice to spend hours exploring immersive aquatic environments, allowing us to live the other side of the shark stories shown in scary films and television shows.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Maneater is an absolutely brilliant game. In fact, it was one of my favourite games of 2020. The action-rpg style of gameplay combined with the shark mechanics creates such a unique and fresh experience, it’s hard not to recommend it to any gamer. Keep in mind though, this is about a shark that will eat damn near everything, including people, so if you have some younger shark fans in the house, you might want to reconsider exposing them to it. Though truth be told, my little guys tried it and got a kick out of it. It’s worth noting that the issues we noted in our original review are still present in this version, including the sometimes awkward controls, repetitive gameplay, and occasional wonky camera.
Turning the usual "human hunts animal" expectation on its head, Maneater is much more than a simple shark simulator, and provides an fun open world RPG that you can really sink your teeth into.
Maneater is a ridiculous, fun title that should be applauded for its ambition of making a viable action RPG starring a shark.
Maneater certainly gives players a different point-of-view on the action/RPG genre. Taking a shark from its violent beginnings to an inevitable battle for vengeance makes for a unique gaming journey. Unfortunately, its nice visuals and sly sense of humor aren't enough to break up the monotony of undersea survival.
Maneater was worth the wait on Nintendo Switch. It’s not a perfect game, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. It’s the murderous Ecco the Dolphin I didn’t realize I always needed. If you’re a stickler for graphics, you might prefer playing it on another console. But for playing a hungry shark on the run, there’s nothing better. Here’s hoping this isn’t the last we see from Tripwire in this delightfully demented new IP.
Maneater is the type of game that, as a kid, I would have played at a friend’s house and thought it was so cool but probably have rarely played if I owned it myself. It’s interesting and unique enough of a concept with some gameplay elements that keep it from being just a straightforward game or a straight-up simulator. It’s polished in some regards but rather empty in others—fun for a while, but ultimately, not the most captivating thing on the market.
While Maneater isn't the best RPG or action title I've ever played, it very well could be the best shark game I've ever encountered. Smooth controls, collectibles and exploration, and top-notch animations make ruling the water as a great white shark all the better, but a middling, campy story with monotonous gameplay and light RPG mechanics sink this otherwise visceral shark-action title.
GREAT - If you’re looking for something meaty to sink your teeth into, Maneater is sure to satisfy your appetite for destruction - now on the go!
Yet even with these massive issues, I would be telling a lie if I did not find the whole thing addictive. Perhaps that is the most frustrating part, what is here is great in concept, and there is so much room for improvement that it raises frustration that there was not more time taken to expand upon the mission format and game mechanics to make the game something truly unique. In fact, I was so checked out with the repetitive nature of it all that nine hours later the Platinum Trophy popped, so that must count for something. With it being free on the PS5 as of writing with PlayStation Plus, then there are zero reasons not to check it out and see if it scratches an itch you might have. Past that, hold your breath for a potential sequel that could make Maneater a real stand-out title and an easy one to recommend in the future.
"Maneater" is a true evil genre in the game industry. But it's just like most B movies, bloody scenes and repetitive shots will inevitably make people bored.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Maneater gets a fairly rudimentary upgrade to PS5, and although the flashy lighting and other additions are welcome, some more quality of life and performance changes wouldn't have gone astray. The inability to transfer save files may also be a bit of a pain for those who previously played through, as there isn't too much incentive to dive back in again.
The new features are welcome, and the game definitely looks nicer, but apart from that, it’s the same experience. If you had your fill of the title on the PS4, there’s not a whole lot to come back for. However, if you’re just diving into the game now, this is the version you want.